cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RNA Structure Analysis of Viruses Using SHAPE

Selective 2' hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE) provides a means to investigate RNA structure with better resolution and higher throughput than has been possible with traditional methods. We present several protocols, which are based on a variety of previously published methods and were adapted and optimized for the analysis of poliovirus RNA in the Andino laboratory. These include methods for nondenaturing RNA extraction, RNA modification and primer extension, and data processing in ShapeFinder.
Estimation of rapidly varying sea clutter using nearest Kronecker product approximation

In this paper, we propose a method to estimate the space-time covariance matrix of rapidly varying sea clutter. The method first develops a dynamic state space representation for the covariance matrix and then approximates the covariance using the nearest Kronecker product to reduce computational complexity. Particle filtering is then applied to estimate the dynamic elements of the covariance matrix. We validate the nearest Kronecker product approximation using real sea clutter radar measurements. We further demonstrate the use of the estimated space-time covariance matrix in the track-before-detect filter to track a low observable target in sea clutter.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for biliary dyskinesia: Correlation of preoperative cholecystokinin cholescintigraphy results with postoperative outcome

A gallbladder ejection fraction (EF) on cholescintigraphy of less than 35% after cholecystokinin (CCK) has been considered to be pathophysiologic and an indication for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). All patients undergoing LC for biliary dyskinesia between 1994 and 2001 were prospectively entered into a database. These patients were retrospectively evaluated with regard to demographics, the number of preoperative studies obtained, postoperative symptoms, and the number of postoperative studies obtained. Sixty patients underwent LC for biliary dyskinesia. The mean gallbladder EF was 14%, and 75% of patients were asymptomatic postoperatively. Persistent symptoms prompted further investigation in 6% of patients with a gallbladder EF <14% and in 35% of patients with an EF between 14 and 35% (p = 0.05). Laparoscopic cholecystectomy alleviated symptoms in 94% of patients with a gallbladder EF <14% after CCK injection. The diagnostic significance of a preoperative CCK cholescintigram (EF 14–35%) needs further investigation.
Routine postpartum manual exploration of the uterus

Abstract Since 1960, exploration of the uterine cavity has been carried out as a routine postpartum maneuver for the purpose of finding unsuspected retained products of conception or traumatic defects of the uterus and to prevent late postpartum hemorrhage. The patients delivered by the author's associat during this period did not undergo this examination as a routine and serve as a control group. Complications, such as hemorrhage, retained unsuspected products of conception, secondary anemia, and hematomas, were fewer in the study group. There was no increase in complications that would contraindicate the procedure such as infection, secondary infertility, and sensitization to the Rh factor. the procedure seems to have been a valuable addition to the author's postpartum procedure, though it is difficult to document the advantages beyond question. It is being continued. There were 423 cases in the explored group and 360 in the control group for a total of 783.
Introduction: the first international workshop on self-adaptive software

This collection of papers was presented at the international workshop on self adaptive software (IWSAS2000) held at Lady Margaret Hall at the University of Oxford between April 17th and April 19th 2000. They represent the state of the art in a new evolving field of research that attempts to build software systems that are more robust to unpredictable and sometimes hostile environments than we have managed to produce by conventional means.
What shields some can shackle others: the approach-related consequences of threat categorisations vary by agreeableness

It is common to think that threat categorisation tendencies (TCTs) should undermine a person's subjective well-being. However, recent research has suggested that the hedonic impact of such tendencies varies considerably according to a person's traits. The present research seeks to extend such a perspective by considering potential interactions between TCTs and the trait of agreeableness. TCTs were measured through the use of choice reaction time tasks contrasting the threat and non-threat categories. As expected, TCTs were not correlated with the trait of agreeableness, but interacted with this trait in predicting the dependent measures. Within three studies involving 184 undergraduates, TCTs were associated with the higher levels of approach-related behaviour and positive emotion among disagreeable individuals, but lower levels of these same variables among agreeable individuals. The authors suggest that threat categorisation tendencies psychologically protect or burden the individual, depending on the levels of agreeableness. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Load balancing for cluster systems under heavy-tailed and temporal dependent workloads

Abstract Large-scaled cluster systems have been employed in various areas by offering pools of fundamental resources. Efficient allocation of the shared resources in a cluster system is a critical but challenging issue, which has been extensively studied in the past few years. Despite the fact that existing load balancing policies, such as Random, Join Shortest Queue and size-based polices, are widely implemented in actual systems due to their simplicity and efficiency, the performance benefits of these policies diminish when workloads are highly variable and temporally correlated. In this paper, we propose a new load balancing policy, named AD u S, which attempts to partition jobs according to their present sizes and further rank the servers based on their loads. By dispatching jobs of similar sizes to the corresponding ranked servers, AD u S can adaptively balance user traffic and system load in a cluster and thus achieve significant performance benefits. Extensive trace-driven simulations using both synthetic and real traces show the effectiveness and robustness of AD u S under many different environments.
On the spatial properties of ambient noise in the Tonga Trench, including effects of bathymetric shadowing

In September 2012, the free-falling, deep-diving instrument platform Deep Sound III descended to the bottom of the Tonga Trench, where it resided at a depth of 8515 m for almost 3 h, recording ambient noise data on four hydrophones arranged in a vertical L-shaped configuration. The time series from each of the hydrophones yielded the power spectrum of the noise over the frequency band 3 Hz to 30 kHz. The spatial coherence functions, along with the corresponding cross-correlation functions, were recovered from all available hydrophone pairs in the vertical and the horizontal. The vertical coherence and cross-correlation data closely follow the predictions of a simple theory of sea-surface noise in a semi-infinite ocean, suggesting that the seabed in the Tonga Trench is a very poor acoustic reflector, which is consistent with the fact that the sediment at the bottom of the trench consists of very-fine-grained material having an acoustic impedance similar to that of seawater. The horizontal coherence and cross-correlation data are a little more complicated, showing evidence of (a) bathymetric shadowing of the noise by the walls of the trench and (b) highly directional acoustic arrivals from the research vessel supporting the experiment.
Women’s experiences of leisure Implications for design

To understand issues involved in designing entertainment technology for women, we conducted a preliminary study of the leisure practices of earlier adopting women. Fourteen women kept track of their leisure activities for one week and were interviewed about definitions of leisure, contexts of leisure activities, and the role of technology in their leisure. Four dimensions underlie the participants’ understandings and use of leisure: activities performed alone, versus with others; a primary versus secondary focus; integration versus segmentation; and stimulation versus recuperation. These women rarely used computer-based technologies for leisure. Findings suggest that women might make more use of computer-based technology for leisure if it was designed to fit into existing routines of leisure activity. We propose ways that these findings could inform the design and content of entertainment technologies for women.
Compression and Reflection of Visually Evoked Cortical Waves

Neuronal interactions between primary and secondary visual cortical areas are important for visual processing, but the spatiotemporal patterns of the interaction are not well understood. We used voltage-sensitive dye imaging to visualize neuronal activity in rat visual cortex and found visually evoked waves propagating from V1 to other visual areas. A primary wave originated in the monocular area of V1 and was "compressed" when propagating to V2. A reflected wave initiated after compression and propagated backward into V1. The compression occurred at the V1/V2 border, and local GABAA inhibition is important for the compression. The compression/reflection pattern provides a two-phase modulation: V1 is first depolarized by the primary wave, and then V1 and V2 are simultaneously depolarized by the reflected and primary waves, respectively. The compression/reflection pattern only occurred for evoked waves and not for spontaneous waves, suggesting that it is organized by an internal mechanism associated with visual processing.
Steric Pressure between Proteins Opposes Membrane Phase Separation

From endocytosis to intercellular signaling, biological processes require precise and rapid assembly of protein complexes on membrane surfaces. How is this accomplished within the complex and crowded environment of cellular membranes? Lipid rafts, defined as phase-separated lipid domains enriched in cholesterol and saturated lipids, are thought to locally organize specific proteins, assisting the assembly of protein complexes. However, the extent to which lipid rafts can concentrate proteins has not been experimentally measured. Using a reconstituted system, we varied the density of proteins bound to the surfaces of lipid domains. Surprisingly, we found that when membrane-bound proteins became crowded, steric pressure arising from collisions between proteins destabilized lipid domains (Figure). These results demonstrate that protein-protein steric pressure creates a significant energetic barrier to the stability of phase-separated biological membranes. Comparison with a simple analytical model reveals that domains are destabilized when steric pressure exceeds the approximate enthalpy of membrane mixing, a threshold that larger membrane-bound proteins reach more efficiently. These results provide a new perspective on the role of lipid rafts as organizers of membrane proteins and suggest that a dynamic balance of membrane surface pressures governs the stability of phase-separated cellular membranes.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Using Enterprise Architecture to Direct IT Governance

IT governance is considered to be an effective way to improve the level of information systems construction and application. But after the analysis of the existing IT governance methods, it found that they were difficult to meet the needs of informatization at this stage. Then, it analyzed the theory and technology of enterprise architecture, and presented the IT governance solution based on enterprise architecture. Finally, it took IT governance of a company for example, which described the process of carrying out IT governance based on enterprise architecture.
Quantum cryptography for secret key generation using frequency-division long-distance interferometry

A realistic quantum cryptographic system must function in the presence of noise and channel loss inevitable in any practical transmission. We examine the effects of these channel limitations on the security and throughput of a class of quantum cryptographic protocols known as four-state, or BB84. Provable unconditional security against eavesdropping, which is the principal feature of quantum cryptography, can be achieved despite minor channel defects, albeit at a reduced transmission throughput. We present a semi-empirical relation between the fully-secure throughput and the loss and noise levels in the channel. According to this relation, a particular implementation of BB84, based on the frequency-division multiplexing scheme and utilizing commercially available detectors, can reach throughputs as high as 104 - 105 secure bits per second over a practical channel of reasonable quality.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
School-Based Decision Making, American Style: Perspectives and Practices Throughout the United States.

During the current era of reform, many of the proposals for restructuring urban American educational governance, with their attendant shift from traditional notions of centralized bureaucratic administration toward decentralized school-based management, are not entirely new. This article examines the phenomenon of local control, American-style, now more commonly referred to as school-based decision making (SBDM), in light of its promise for urban settings. The first part of the manuscript examines the implementation of local control in New York City and Detroit. The second part looks at current decentralization efforts in four locations: Miami-Dade County, Florida; Chicago; Texas; and Kentucky. The third, and final section, offers reflections and recommendations based on the similarities and differences between and among the sites that may be instructive to individuals in urban settings who are seeking to improve the quality of education for America's most vital resource, its children.
Groups without tears: mining social topologies from email

As people accumulate hundreds of "friends" in social media, a flat list of connections becomes unmanageable. Interfaces agnostic to social structure hinder the nuanced sharing of personal data such as photos, status updates, news feeds, and comments. To address this problem, we propose social topologies, a set of potentially overlapping and nested social groups, that represent the structure and content of a person's social network as a first-class object. We contribute an algorithm for creating social topologies by mining communication history and identifying likely groups based on co-occurrence patterns. We use our algorithm to populate a browser interface that supports creation and editing of social groups via direct manipulation. A user study confirms that our approach models subjects' social topologies well, and that our interface enables intuitive browsing and management of a personal social landscape.
Measuring stiffness and residual stresses of silicon nitride thin films

The mechanical deflection of circular membranes of SiNx is presented as a technique for measuring the stiffness and residual stress of very thin, single-layer films. The dimensions of the membranes are controlled precisely using standard photolithography, dry etching and wet etching techniques. Thicknesses vary between 0.09 μm and 0.27 μm and average diameters range between 1100 μm and 4100 μm. A Nanoindenter is used to deflect the membranes with a point force at their centers, and to continuously record the applied forces and the resulting deflections. The analysis of the force-deflection data yields the values of Young’s moduli and residual stresses for the films.
AN EMPIRICAL EVALUATION OF THE INSURANCE HYPOTHESIS IN DIVERSITY–STABILITY MODELS

An important stabilizing mechanism in most diversity-stability models is the insurance hypothesis, which involves correlation/covariance relationships among species. These models require that species do not fluctuate synchronously over time: that is, the correlation between pairs of species does not equal 1.0. However, the strength of this stabilizing mechanism increases as correlations decline away from 1.0, especially as they become more negative and also as the summed covariance across all species pairs becomes more negative. We evaluated the importance of the insurance hypothesis as a stabilizing mechanism by examining a variety of terrestrial assemblages using long-term data from the Global Population Dynamics Database, the Breeding Bird Survey, and a long-term site in southeastern Arizona, USA. We identified co-occurring assemblages of species and calculated the Spearman rank correlations of all pairs of species and the summed covariance of the entire assemblage. We found that, in most assemblages, positive correlations were two to three times more common than negative and that the magnitude of the positive correlations tended to be stronger than the negative correlations. For all but three assemblages, the summed covariance was positive. Data from larger spatial scales tended to exhibit more positive correlations, but even at the smallest spatial scales, positive correlations outnumbered negative. We suggest that species often covary positively because coexisting species respond similarly to fluctuations in their resource base driven by climatic fluctuations. As such, our review suggests that the insurance hypothesis may not be a strong mechanism stabilizing fluctuations in natural terrestrial communities.
Distinct biological effects of golgicide a derivatives on larval and adult mosquitoes

A collection of Golgicide A (GCA) analogs has been synthesized and evaluated in larval and adult mosquito assays. Commercially available GCA is a mixture of four compounds. One enantiomer (GCA-2) of the major diastereomer in this mixture was shown to be responsible for the unique activity of GCA. Structure-activity studies (SAR) of the GCA architecture suggested that the pyridine ring was most easily manipulated without loss or gain in new activity. Eighteen GCA analogs were synthesized of which five displayed distinct behavior between larval and adult mosquitos, resulting in complete mortality of both Aedes aegypti and Anopheles stephensi larvae. Two analogs from the collection were shown to be distinct from the rest in displaying high selectivity and efficiency in killing An. stephensi larvae.
Optimizing the ACIS effective area and energy resolution

The ACIS flight instrument was recently extensively calibrated at the X-ray Calibration Facility at MSFC. For the analysis of a subset of the ACIS calibration data we have employed an automated even filtering software package developed at PSU. We present result describing the dependence of the Effective Area and Energy Response of ACIS/HRMA as a function of grade selection, split event threshold, CCD and CCD amplifier, and off-axis angle. The main goal of this study is to facilitate the selection of the appropriate ACIS parameters that optimize a desired feature in an observed ACIS spectrum and may also guide observers in selecting the appropriate CCD for the observation. Optimizing a particular feature in an ACIS observation in general may require making a trade-off between effect area and energy response of AXAF/ACIS. The present analysis will facilitate the selection of the appropriate grades, CCD, CCD amplifier and spilt even thresholds needed to attain the optimal point.As an illustration of the effectiveness of this approach we present several case studies of typical astrophysical source spectra in which we enhance a particular scientific feature in the observed ACIS spectrum by the appropriate selection of ACIS parameters.
Photodynamic therapy for herpes simplex: A critical review

Abstract The purpose of this review is to summarize available experimental and clinical data concerning benefits and potential risks of photodynamic therapy for oral and genital herpes simplex virus infections. Since such infections are a source of discomfort and pain, and since recent evidence links the virus itself with carcinogenesis, clinicians have felt an increased need for more effective therapy for herpesvirus infections. In 1973 a human clinical therapeutic procedure based on photodynamic inactivation was developed. The treatment consists of applying a photosensitizing dye to herpesvirus lesions and then exposing them to visible light. A number of human clinical trials have been completed; some of these show reduction of herpesvirus infectivity, whereas others question the efficacy of the procedure. Data from a number of in vitro virus-host cell studies suggest the procedure may be potentially carcinogenic and therefore clinically hazardous. Thus a controversy exists concerning further use of the treatment. This review gives the reader a basis for understanding the controversy and included basic principles of photodynamic inactivation, medical aspects of herpesvirus infections, development of the therapeutic procedure, results of clinical studies, and results of in vitro studies which indicate potential long-term side effects.
Epitope-tagging Math5 and Pou4f2: new tools to study retinal ganglion cell development in the mouse.

Although immunological detection of proteins is used extensively in retinal development, studies are often impeded because antibodies against crucial proteins cannot be generated or are not readily available. Here, we overcome these limitations by constructing genetically engineered alleles for Math5 and Pou4f2, two genes required for retinal ganglion cell (RGC) development. Sequences encoding a peptide epitope from haemagglutinin (HA) were added to Math5 or Pou4f2 in frame to generate Math5HA and Pou4f2HA alleles. We demonstrate that the tagged alleles recapitulated the wild-type expression patterns of the two genes, and that the tags did not interfere with the function of the cognate proteins. In addition, by co-staining, we found that Math5 and Pou4f2 were transiently co-expressed in newly born RGCs, unequivocally demonstrating that Pou4f2 is immediately downstream of Math5 in RGC formation. The epitope-tagged alleles provide new and useful tools for analyzing gene regulatory networks underlying RGC development. Developmental Dynamics 238:2309–2317, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Assay of the Concentration and 13C Isotopic Enrichment of Propionyl-CoA, Methylmalonyl-CoA, and Succinyl-CoA by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

We developed gas chromatography-mass spectrometry assays for the concentration and mass isotopomer distribution of propionyl-CoA, methylmalonyl-CoA, and succinyl-CoA in tissues. The assays involves perchloric acid extraction of the tissue, spiking the extract with [(2)H(5)]propionyl-CoA and [(2)H(4)]succinyl-CoA internal standards, and isolation of short-chain acyl-CoA fraction on an oligonucleotide purification cartridge. Propionyl-CoA is reacted with sarcosine and the formed N-propionylsarcosine is assayed as its pentafluorobenzyl derivative. Methylmalonyl-CoA and succinyl-CoA are hydrolyzed and the corresponding acids assayed as tert-butyl dimethylsilyl derivatives. The assay was applied to a study of [U-(13)C(3)]propionate metabolism in perfused rat livers. While propionyl-CoA is only M3 labeled, succinyl-CoA is M3, M2, and M1 labeled because of isotopic exchanges in the citric acid cycle. Methylmalonyl-CoA is M3 and M2 labeled, reflecting reversal of S-methylmalonyl-CoA mutase. Thus, our assays allow measuring the turnover of the coenzyme A derivatives involved in anaplerosis of the citric acid cycle via precursors of propionyl-CoA, i.e., propionate, odd-chain fatty acids, isoleucine, threonine, and valine.
CT pitfalls in emergency radiology: a chronically ruptured intra-cranial dermoid tumor mimicking pneumocephalus in an acute multi-trauma evaluation

Traumatic rupture of an intracranial dermoid tumor is an unusual event. In this case, however, a ruptured intracranial dermoid is noted, but in the absence of clinical signs and symptoms. The lack of symptoms coupled with an abnormal cerebral computed tomography (CT) initially created confusion among clinicians until a more detailed history and more careful analysis of the head CT revealed the plausible answer.
Wind survey of high‐speed bulk flows and field‐aligned beams in the near‐Earth plasma sheet

[1] We have surveyed all high-speed (>250 km/s) flows detected by Wind during its 17 perigee passes across the near-Earth (xGSE = −25 to 0 RE) plasma sheet in the period between 1995 and 1997. By classifying high-speed flow events based on their ion distribution characteristics rather than their plasma moments or the regions in which these flows were detected, we found that most (if not all) high-speed flow ion distributions fall into two distinct categories: bulk flows and field-aligned beams. We show that bulk flows are not simply the low-latitude counterparts of field-aligned beams. Field-aligned beams have sharp cutoffs at low energies, occur within relatively steady magnetic field and plasma conditions, and are detected more often away from the neutral sheet. On the other hand, high-speed bulk flows are well represented by a single drifting population and have their peak occurrence rate at the neutral sheet. Bulk flows are generally accompanied by large magnetic field fluctuations and sudden increase of energetic (up to 0.5 MeV) particle fluxes. They are often (but not always) associated with magnetic field dipolarization and plasma temperature enhancements. Little or no temperature enhancements are observed in cases where the spacecraft resides near the neutral sheet before the arrival of bursty bulk flows, suggesting that temperature enhancements seen in other bulk flow events may in part be a spatial effect instead of true heating of the plasma. Bulk flows are perpendicular to the magnetic field when detected at the neutral sheet but have a large field-aligned component at higher magnetic latitudes. Field-aligned bulk flows and field-aligned beams are similar in terms of their velocity moments and may occur at the same magnetic latitudes but are easily distinguishable based on their ion distributions. We have used our categorization of bulk flow and field-aligned beam events to search for the optimal moment-based selection criteria to distinguish bulk flows from beams. We found that no single moment-based parameter or threshold can serve to cleanly separate beam from bulk flow distributions because a range of values of these parameters exists where both types of fast flows are observed. We found perpendicular flow speed v⟂ > 250 km/s and plasma βxy (based on the x and y components of the magnetic field) > 2 to be the optimal moment-based bulk flow selection criteria because they eliminate ∼95% of beam events while retaining ∼60% of bulk flow events. Finally, a previously reported dawn–dusk asymmetry in the occurrence of bursty bulk flows, with most events occurring in the premidnight sector, is confirmed by our survey. Field-aligned beams, on the other hand, have no dawn–dusk bias.
Effects on Free Recall and Recognition of Transforming Visually Presented Words and Pictures into Trace or Imagery form

The effects on free recall and recognition of transforming visually presented words and pictures was investigated. The Ss (n = 88) were asked to imagine or trace the words or pictures, and the number of item remembered was measured through free recall or recognition. There was no significant difference in items remembered as a result of tracing or imagining. Significantly more picture stimuli were remembered as opposed to words, and recognition of items was superior to free recall (p less than .01). A significant interaction (p less than .01) indicated that picture stimuli enhanced free recall, but when the method of recollection was recognition there was no difference in performance; words and pictures were remembered equally as well. The results support previous findings and also indicate that it is important to know the method of recollection, as well as the form of the presented stimuli.
Self-Determination across the Life Span: Issues and Gaps

This article synthesizes the literature on self-determination across the lifespan with a focus on identifying gaps that exist between theory, research, and evidence-based practices. Using a life-stages approach, it first examines issues across life phases, and then examines cross-cutting topics (employment, abuse and neglect, and health) that are relevant during several age ranges. A lifespan approach to self-determination takes into account both the developmental stage and the social ecological aspect. While its expression for individuals with developmental disabilities can begin at the earliest stages, in general, level of self-determination increases throughout adolescence and early adulthood. The expression of self-determination is also shaped by opportunities in family, school, vocational, and residential environments. In addition, such practices and policies such as consumer-direction in supports and training interventions that teach elements of goal planning and choice-making and self-regulation co...
Neural-network-based identification of tissue-type plasminogen activator protein production and glycosylation in CHO cell culture under shear environment.

An artificial neural network (ANN) modeling scheme has been constructed for the identification of both recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (r-tPA) protein production and glycosylation from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell culture, cultivated in a stirred bioreactor. A series of hybrid feed-forward backpropagation neural networks were constructed to function as a software sensor. This enabled predictions of viable cell density, r-tPA content, and r-tPA glycosylation. The sensor was based on an initial input vector space consisting of simple metabolite concentrations, batch cultivation time, and a description of shear stress applied to the culture. Metabolite concentrations of the culture supernatant, included in the input vector space, were obtained from a single isocratic HPLC measurement. The shear stress component of the input space enabled accurate culture state prediction over a wide range of agitation rates. Coefficient of determination (r 2 ) values between ANN predicted and experimental measurements of 0.945, 0.943, 0.956, and 0.990 were calculated to validate individual ANN prediction accuracy for total ammonia, apparent viable cell density, total r-tPA, and Type II glycoform concentrations, respectively.
γ-Lactam analogues of carbapenems

Abstract γ-Lactam analogues of carbapenems have been synthesized using a [3+2] cyclization approach. Slight antibiotic activity was observed in one case.
Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography of mild cognitive impairment with clinical follow-up at 3 years

Abstract Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common dementing illness. Development of effective treatments directed at AD requires an early diagnosis. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) often heralds AD. Thus, characterizing MCI is fundamental to the early diagnosis of AD. Methods 19 MCI patients referred from a memory loss clinic and 27 healthy subjects, all followed up for 3 years. Metabolism scans (MCI minus controls) were compared voxel-wise after anatomic normalization and were examined both visually and with a computerized classifier. Results Agreement between raters as to whether the individual scans were normal or abnormal was high. Agreement between raters of the eventual clinical diagnosis and baseline metabolic pattern was poor. A computerized classifier was unsuccessful at classifying MCI from normal; however, its performance improved when using only prototypic AD-like MCI scans, indicating the classifier worked well when shared patterns existed in the data. Outcomes on follow-up were nine of 19 AD, five of 19 remained MCI, and five of 19 developed dementias other than AD. Both MCI cases of early Lewy body dementia (LBD) showed an AD-like metabolic pattern. Conclusions Visual inspection proved reliable in determining normal from abnormal scans, but it proved unreliable at predicting diagnosis on follow-up. Computerized classification of MCI by using an AD-like metabolic template (such as derived from the averaged MCI images) showed potential to identify patients who will develop AD. However, the metabolic pattern in early LBD did not differ from that in AD.
Effects of Simvastatin on Retinoic Acid System in Primary Human Endometrial Stromal Cells and in a Chimeric Model of Human Endometriosis

Context: Retinoic acid (RA) may promote survival or apoptosis of cells, depending on the levels of binding proteins: apoptosis-inducing cellular RA binding protein 2 (CRABP2), and cell survival-promoting fatty acid binding protein 5 (FABP5). Increased cellular uptake of retinol and altered actions of RA related to reduced expression of CRABP2 may contribute to the development of endometriosis. Recently statins have been shown to inhibit growth of human endometrial stromal (HES) cells and to reduce the number and size of endometriotic implants in experimental models of this disorder. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine whether effects of simvastatin on HES cells and experimental endometriotic implants are related to the modulation of the RA system. Methods: Effects of simvastatin and RA on proliferation and apoptosis of HES cells were evaluated. Expression of stimulated by RA 6 (STRA6), CRABP2, and FABP5 was determined by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Effects of simvastatin were al...
The Characterisation of Interfacial Dislocation Structures

Experimental observation of many interfaces in metals indicate the presence of a dislocation-like structure. The geometrical basis for such a structure to exist is discussed, and the suitability of the transmission electron microscope (TEM) to characterise it considered. It is shown by reference to examples of grain and phase boundary structures in metals that such geometrical models may be used as a first step to predicting interfacial structures, and that the dislocations observed may play a role in thermo-mechanical behaviour of polycrystals. The general applicability of the applicability of the approach to non-metallic systems, such as semiconductors and ceramics is also indicated.
Perception of Risk as Related to Choice in a Two-Dimensional Risk Situation

A risky choice was created by manipulating two dimensions of risk for 21 managers attending a conference. The first dimension varied risk by altering the difference in expected value between two alternatives of widely differing variance. The second dimension varied the expectancy of achieving a particular outcome. Whereas choice was significantly related to both dimensions of risk, it was not significantly related to estimates of the subjective risk inherent in the choice situation. It appears that subjective risk does not mediate between objective risk and choice.
High pressure solid state chemistry defect dynamics using site selective laser spectroscopy

Abstract We report a new method that can resolve the dynamics of individual defect centers in model materials at high pressures. Site selective laser spectroscopy is used to measure the defect dynamics in lanthanide doped fluorites contained within a diamond anvil cell. After creating a nonequilibrium high pressure distribution of defect centers, the site-resolved re-equilibration kinetics are measured spectroscopically as the defect centers interconvert to their low pressure distribution. This work demonstrates the feasibility of this new technique for high pressure work and reports new data showing diffusional heterogeneity caused by inter-defect interactions.
ENERGY BUDGET AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS OF CANOPY LEAVES

ABSTRACT The relation between leaves (broad and needle leaves) in a canopy and parts of the soil-atmosphere environment is modeled and analyzed. The parameters examined are concerned with short and longwave radiation, reradiation, and latent and convectional heat fluxes at the leaf level. The resulting leaf energy budget is empirically linked to a generalized model of potential photosynthesis whose major inputs are solar radiation and leaf temperature. The predictions of the combined process-response system do not attempt to portray existing plants, but are used to infer the trend of the major forcing and response functions of leaves in general when exposed to a great variety of environmental conditions. Leaves in the topmost canopy exhibit the highest Bowen ratios and highest potential photosynthesis, whereas the opposite is the rule among interior leaves. During the growing season many middle latitude climates show higher potential productivity than moist, tropical climates.
A neurochemical signature of visual recovery after extrastriate cortical damage in the adult cat.

In adult cats, damage to the extrastriate visual cortex on the banks of the lateral suprasylvian (LS) sulcus causes severe deficits in motion perception that can recover as a result of intensive direction discrimination training. The fact that recovery is restricted to trained visual field locations suggests that the neural circuitry of early visual cortical areas, with their tighter retinotopy, may play an important role in attaining perceptual improvements after damage to higher level visual cortex. The present study tests this hypothesis by comparing the manner in which excitatory and inhibitory components of the supragranular circuitry in an early visual cortical area (area 18) are affected by LS lesions and postlesion training. First, the proportion of LS-projecting pyramidal cells as well as calbindin- and parvalbumin-positive interneurons expressing each of the four AMPA receptor subunits was estimated in layers II and III of area 18 in intact animals. The degree to which LS lesions and visual retraining altered these expression patterns was then assessed. Both LS-projecting pyramidal cells and inhibitory interneurons exhibited long-term, differential reductions in the expression of glutamate receptor (GluR)1, -2, -2/3, and -4 following LS lesions. Intensive visual training post lesion restored normal AMPAR subunit expression in all three cell-types examined. Furthermore, for LS-projecting and calbindin-positive neurons, this restoration occurred only in portions of the ipsi-lesional area 18 representing trained visual field locations. This supports our hypothesis that stimulation of early visual cortical areas—in this case, area 18—by training is an important factor in restoring visual perception after permanent damage to LS cortex.
Persistence and Distribution of Temperate Intertidal Worm Reefs in Delaware Bay: A Comparison of Biological and Physical Factors

The sandbuilder worm Sabellaria vulgaris is widely found along the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA, but occurs in dense, reef-like structures in only one estuary. Reef formation and persistence was monitored in lower Delaware Bay along the western shoreline between 2001 and 2009 using ground surveys and aerial photography. These observations were combined with field larval settlement studies, laboratory low temperature susceptibility experiments, and an examination of the physical properties of the individual beaches to attempt to explain the location and persistence of the reefs. Neither exposure to temperature minima during spring low tides nor yearly variations in recruitment accounted for the observed reef distribution patterns. This study suggests that two physical factors, the distance from the beach to the 2-m isobath and the presence of coarse substratum >2 mm explain the greatest amount of variation in the observed distribution of intertidal S. vulgaris reefs and small aggregations.
Impact of Position Optimization on Comfort and Working Posture Preference for Computer Operators with Chronic Low Back Pain

Many computer operators, such as those with chronic low back pain (LBP), may benefit from alternative working postures. Advances in computer technology are making changes to traditional computer workstations more feasible. However, many computer workstations do not appear to provide adequate postural support for people who might benefit from alternative working postures. This paper describes the results of a study investigating the impact that position optimization has on user comfort and working posture preference. The results of two tests are compared. In the first test, computer peripherals and postural supports were positioned for each participant, while in an upright seated posture, then maintained in those relative positions for each of five different working postures. In the second test the postural supports and computer peripheral positions were adjusted to maximize user comfort in each posture. The results indicate improved user comfort with the optimized positioning, and a change in the preferre...
An Information Provision Framework for Performance-Based Interactive eLearning Application for Manufacturing

Fundamental concepts and definitions of electronic learning (eLearning) continue to emerge, and theories of eLearning that have been advanced thus far cover an array of academic perspectives including training and education, learning and knowledge, and technology and applications to specific market segments. Any study of the effectiveness and efficiency of eLearning, therefore, has to address a variety of issues, including the role of eLearning in knowledge and learning, its contribution to competent performance, its relationship to organizational transformation, and strategies for embedding it into other forms of electronic interaction. eLearning refers to a form of learning in which the instructor and student are physically separated by space or time, and the gap between the two is bridged through the use of online technologies. Virtual technology utilizes an interactive approach to computer-based learning by providing real-time feedback to the user. Surveys of manufacturing companies have verified their interest and enthusiasm in the potential of virtual technology for industrial applications; however, the companies noted that one of the barriers to investing in the technology is the need for a structured methodology to guide the application identification, as well as the model building and evaluation for this technology. The study referenced in this article addresses this need by providing a framework for the development of a virtual environment that provides information for manufacturing task completion. It builds upon extant research into the use of virtual reality for task completion as well as proposes a structure for virtual environment development.
The perception of others: inferring reputation from social media in the enterprise

The emergence of social media allows people to interact with others all over the world. During interaction, people leave many traces behind that can reveal things about themselves, or about how they perceive others: having many followers may indicate that one is an influencer; forum answers that gain high ranking, are likely to testify for expertise; people who gain high ranking in eCommerce sites are likely to be trustworthy. In this paper, we examine whether public online traces can be used for inferring the reputation of a person as perceived by others in relation to trustworthiness, influence, expertise, and impact. We describe a study performed on indicators of reputation that employees leave in a rich organizational social media platform. We compare different indicators, and report the results of an extensive user study with over 500 participants who provided their perception of thousands of others through a set of hypothetical scenarios.
Improving Representational Competence Using Molecular Simulations Embedded in Inquiry Activities

The present article discusses the design and impact of computer-based visualization tools for supporting student learning and representational competence in science. Specifically, learning out- comes and student representation use are compared between eight secondary classrooms utilizing The Connected Chemistry Curriculum and eight secondary chemistry using lecture-based methods. Results from the quasi-experimental intervention indicate that the curriculum and accompanying visualization tool yield only small to modest gains in student achievement on summative assessments. Analysis of student representation use on pre- and post-assessments, however, indicate the students in Connected Chemistry classrooms are significantly more likely to use submicroscopic representations of chemical systems that are consistent with teacher and expert representation use. The affordances of visualization tools in inquiry activities to improve students' representational competence and conceptual understand- ing of content in the science classroom are discussed. 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 1137-1158, 2011
GeSiSn Photodiodes With 1 eV Optical Gaps Grown on Si(100) and Ge(100) Platforms

Ge1-x-ySixSny alloys have reached a level of maturity that permits the creation of prototype devices on group-IV platforms. Here, we compare the optical and electrical properties of GeSiSn diodes with similar target compositions (Si; 10-11%, Sn; 1.7-2.3%) grown directly on Si(100) and Ge(100) using low-temperature ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition reactions of designer hydrides. The diodes grown on Ge substrates have relatively low ideality factors in the 1.3-1.4 range and low dark currents with a sizable diffusion component. The corresponding characteristics of the analogous devices grown on Si are significantly degraded due to mismatch-induced reduction in crystal quality. Quantum efficiency measurements show that both sets of diodes have absorption edges near 1 eV with collection efficiencies reaching at least 76% in the devices grown on Ge. Collectively, these results suggest that Ge1-x-ySixSny alloys represent a viable alternative as the long sought photovoltaic material with a lattice constant equal to that of Ge and a bandgap around 1 eV.
Query expansion using probabilistic local feedback with application to multimedia retrieval

As one of the most effective query expansion approaches, local feedback is able to automatically discover new query terms and improve retrieval accuracy for different retrieval models. However, the performance of local feedback is heavily dependent on the assumption that most top-ranked documents are relevant to the query topic. Although this assumption might be sensible for ad-hoc text retrieval, it is usually violated in many other retrieval tasks such as multimedia retrieval. In this paper, we develop a robust local analysis approach called probabilistic local feedback (PLF) based on a discriminative probabilistic retrieval framework. The proposed model is effective for improving retrieval accuracy without assuming the most top-ranked documents are relevant. It also provides a sound probabilistic interpretation and a convergence guarantee on the iterative result updating process. Although derived from variational techniques, this approach only involves an iterative process of simple operations on ranking features and thus can be computed efficiently in practice. Our multimedia retrieval experiments on TRECVID'03-'05 collections have demonstrated the advantage of the proposed PLF approaches which can achieve noticeable gains in terms of mean average precision over various baseline methods and PRF-augmented results.